July 2009

Just Because

A Friday Laugh

As many of you know (or have no doubt figured out by now), we are ALWAYS up for a good laugh.  In the middle of this unpredictable season we call summer and just off the rollercoaster of ALA, we are in the middle of moving from one floor in our building to another (see Kayleigh's post on her cubicle must-haves).   I think we all can agree that it is truly amazing how much you can accumulate in an office…given the opportunity to do so.  While Virginia, Kayleigh and I attempt to figure out what to keep or discard, we came across this ancient artifact:

Cell

If you guessed a cell phone…you are correct!  However, it is not just any cell phone.  It is (as I like to say) gi-normous!  It is very reminiscent of the “Zack Morris phone” from the television show Saved by the Bell.  We also found the order confirmation from Bell Atlantic Mobile from 1998!  (Does Bell Atlantic Mobile still exist?)

On a personal note, my very first cell phone was very similar to this one…just not as big!  I kept that phone for nearly four years until the size of the phone, as well as the humiliation from the fact that I was still using it got the better of me and I downsized. ..Or so I thought! If you have a funny and/or embarrassing cellular phone story…we’d love to hear it!

Happy Friday!
-Bobby

Books, Love Begins in Winter, Simon Van Booy, New York Times

Don’t Miss Modern Love

LaborDay hc c "My Secret Left Me Unable to Help," a fantastic essay by Joyce Maynard, was just published in Sunday's New York Times.  Joyce Maynard is the author of Labor Day (9780061843402), which we have ecastically recommended here on Library Love Fest.  The essay, which deals with Maynard's relationship with her daughter, actually gave me goosebumps upon reading– don't miss it! And while you're at it, check out Simon Van Booy's equally incredible Modern Love essay from a few weeks back. I am not ashamed to admit that I cried at my desk after reading it, to the shock and bemusement of my co-workers.     

-Kayleigh  

American Library Association, Books, Jane Stanton Hitchcock, Mortal Friends, Libraries, Library Journal, Mystery/Suspense, New York Times

Mortal Friends

MortalFriends hc c Would you know evil if it sat next to you?  That’s a good question – and one that New York Times bestselling author Jane Stanton Hitchcock answers in her latest page turner, Mortal Friends (in her words ‘a novel that has murder in it!’) Enter the dishy, political world of money and high society set squarely in Washington, DC. Her books have been described as “Ruth Rendell meets Dominick Dunne, for the sophisticated reader who wants the perfect beach read.” (Library Journal)

Libraries are near and dear to the heart of this wonderful writer.   Last week Jane flew to Chicago to attend the American Library Association conference where she spoke to over 300 librarians at the ALTAFF Book and Author Tea and signed countless copies of her witty, smart whodunit, Mortal Friends. 

She also took the time to write this message to librarians everywhere:

"Libraries are like houses of worship:  Whether or not you use them yourself, it's important to know that they are there.  In many ways they define a society and the values of that society.  Librarians to me are the keepers of the flame of knowledge.  When I was growing up, the librarian in my local library looked like a meek little old lady, but after you spent some time with her, you realized she was Athena with a sword, a wise and wonderful repository of wisdom."

Check out this great video taken of Jane while she signed books in the Harper booth at ALA:

More raves for Mortal Friends!
“Mortal Friends is at once witty, sophisticated and chilling — imagine Edgar Allan Poe and Edith Wharton collaborating on a mystery. This novel had me guessing and turning the pages until the very end, and even then, I was surprised. Nobody else out there writes, or entertains, like Jane Stanton Hitchcock.”
   — Susan Cheever

“Mortal Friends is a brilliant mix — an expertly paced novel of suspense and a cutthroat comedy of manners. In Jane Stanton Hitchcock’s skilled hands, these Capitol killings show D.C. society for what it is — Deliciously Criminal.”
   — Linda Fairstein

We’re so in love with Mortal Friends and you will be, too – once you’ve read it!  So…to the lucky first 25 who reply to this post, we will send a complimentary copy of Mortal Friends.  We’d love to hear what you think of this juicy page turner so send in your reviews and we’ll gladly post them.  Happy Reading!

-Virginia

American Library Association, Books, Collection Development, Libraries, The Roaring 20s, Weblogs

ALA 2009- The Roaring Re-Cap

6296_628778435892_8102771_36935574_3013583_n The Roaring 20s has a new look, and a new post! Now that ALA 2009 is behind us, I will be posting regularly again on Roaring, so be sure to send me some feedback on the new design! And while you're checking out the page, take a peek at my Fall/Winter picks from our Title Presentation.  Trust me, you don't need to be a 20something to enjoy these books.

-Kayleigh    

American Library Association, BEA, Books, Collection Development, Labor Day, Joyce Maynard, Libraries

Labor Day

LaborDay hc c If you attended BEA or ALA this year, you might have heard us raving about Joyce Maynard’s latest, Labor Day, an in-house favorite.  In a manner evoking Ian McEwan’s Atonementand Nick Hornby’s About a Boy, Joyce Maynard tells a story of love, sexual passion, painful adolescence, and devastating betrayal as seen through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old boy—and the man he later becomes—looking back on the events of a single long, hot, and life-altering weekend.  Check out the video, browse inside the book, or download the podcast.  Download LABOR DAY Story Behind the Book.  Happy Reading!


American Library Association, Collection Development, HarperCollins Publishers, Libraries, Travel

Windy City, Here We Come!

Illinois-chicago Well, it's that time of year again.  Our department is headed to Chicago for ALA 2009, and we are loaded up with goodies.  Between galleys, symtio cards, and tote bags, we've got giveaways covered.  Be sure to stop by our booth and meet us in person–we're Booth # 1911.  For a full list of our author signings, head over to Early Word.  And of course, don't miss our title presentation!

See you in the Windy City!

-Kayleigh

Books, Dorothea Benton Frank, Return to Sullivan's Island, HarperCollins Publishers, Libraries

A Book a Minute: Return to Sullivans Island

Here’s the latest installment in our video series, A Book A Minute.  This series features our colleagues talking about the latest book they’re reading – in one minute or less! Today we have Tavia Kowalchuk, Director of Marketing at William Morrow talking about Return to Sullivans Island– Dot Frank’s highly anticipated sequel to mega hit, Sullivans Island.  If you want to read a letter from Dot talking about the importance of libraries in her life, check out our previous post.



-Virginia

Books, Collection Development, Dorothea Benton Frank, Return to Sullivan's Island, Libraries, New York Times

Dorothea Benton Frank’s Letter to Librarians

Sullivan Dot Frank’s latest book, Return to Sullivans Island went on sale this week.  This is the long awaited sequel to her first novel, the bestselling Sullivan's Island which launched Dot’s career. It debuted on the New York Times list at number nine, went back to press twenty five times, was published in ten foreign languages and today there are over one million copies in print.

Publishers Weekly calls Return to Sullivans Island “tight storytelling, winsomely oddball characters and touches of Southern magic make this a winner.”

The following letter is from Dot to librarians.  Enjoy…

…

Dorothea Benton Frank’s Letter to LibrariansRead More »

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